Sergio Perez is looking to bounce back from a poor performance in last week’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and is targeting success in Monaco as a way of getting back to the front.
Perez missed the final cut in Imola qualifying for the first time in 2024 which compromised his race, but is feeling more confident about this week’s event given his proven track record on the streets of the Principality.
“Monaco is always one of the standout races in the calendar, and I am lucky enough to be a Monaco race winner, which is very special to me,” Perez said.
“Sometimes it looks like racing comes second here, because the event and everything surrounding the race is so big, but we always come here focussed and the team ensure we can concentrate on what is important.
“The pressure to deliver comes on Saturday in Monaco because overtaking is nearly impossible on Sunday and I know I need to do better, following a tricky weekend in Italy. I want to get the momentum back.
“Nothing came together in Imola,” he admitted. “”We’ve been working hard to understand that. It’s not just me behind the wheel, my engineers or car crew.
“It’s an entire factory ensuring we make the most of a very quick car and put it where it belongs – which is always on the podium.”
While he’s survived a lot longer than others and achieved more than most, Perez is just the latest driver to find it hard to be Max Verstappen’s team mate at Red Bull.
“It’s not fair if I’m going to speak for other drivers, but there are reasons why Red Bull doesn’t work for everyone,” he told the media last week in Imola.
“Being Verstappen’s team-mate is super spicy: I’m sure I would have stood out more often if I had another team-mate,” he offered.
It’s a fantastic challenge. Max is the best driver, he is complete and makes few mistakes,” Perez continued. “It’s great to have a team-mate like that, because you know you have to push to the limit and finish perfect weekends to beat him.
“If you keep struggling and have a team-mate like Max, who delivers weekend after weekend, you end up in a vicious cycle,” he explained. “You’re constantly looking at the set-up of the car when there’s probably not that much left in it.
“You really just have to reset and stay mentally strong, because sometimes it can be very difficult. At Red Bull you just have to be mentally strong now.”
While it’s being labelled a mere ‘blip’, Perez’ poor weekend in Imola means that his future at Red Bull is once again under the microscope with nothing confirmed about a contract extension for 2025.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo have been suggested as possible replacements for Perez next year, but Horner insists there is nothing set in stone at this point.
“We know exactly where we are at and what our options are. We will make decisions about the future in the timing that is right for us.”
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